Rewarding Singapore's sports champions: why the money matters

WHEN Loh Kean Yew won the Badminton World Federation World Championships in 2021, I, like many other Singaporeans, was transfixed by his performance.

His speed, power and athleticism were mesmerising, in particular his ability to dive for drop shots at the net and return the shuttlecock while also springing up to regain his stance in the middle of the court, all seemingly in one fluid motion.

I must confess I am terrible at badminton, as I am with most sports that involve rackets and/or balls. But I am an ardent Team Singapore supporter and followed Kean Yew's journey closely last year, which tracked from a solid showing at the Tokyo Olympics to winning a progression of smaller tournaments before culminating in Singapore's first world champion in the sport.